1 year ago
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We begin today’s roundup with analysis of the new session in Congress. Olivia Beavers and Jordain Carney at Politico summarize the Republican turmoil:
As Kevin McCarthy begins the final descent of his turbulent bid for the speaker’s gavel, Republicans are bracing to see whether he lands the plane or crashes and burns. [...]
How long that fight will last is still unclear. McCarthy supporters say they expect him to keep Republicans on the House floor, instead of trying to adjourn for off-the-floor strategy sessions between ballots, as he hopes to grind down his opponents. And while a speakership vote has gone past the first ballot only once since the Civil War, Republicans are mentally preparing not just for multiple ballots, but also multiple days of voting. [...]
It’s an inauspicious start not just for McCarthy, but also for a conference that already suffered a disappointing midterm election — attaining only a slim majority despite optimistic projections. Even if McCarthy manages to lock down the votes, he’s had to make key promises that guarantee his leadership would be severely weakened.
